


October 3: "How can I trust you?"

by Qophia



Series: Qoph's Fictober 2018 [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cassandra Pentaghast is So Done, Ficlet, Fictober, Gen, Humor, POV Cassandra Pentaghast, cadash is an unrepentant grifter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-24 23:00:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16184996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qophia/pseuds/Qophia
Summary: Cassandra opened the door to the room she’d commandeered at the back of Haven’s chantry to find the dwarf’s boots propped up on the map table, the chair he sat in balanced precariously on its back legs. Was that a... What was that ridiculous Fereldan children’s candy... A lollipop?





	October 3: "How can I trust you?"

**Author's Note:**

> hopefully not what folks are expecting from this particular prompt; as always, feedback welcome!

Cassandra opened the door to the room she’d commandeered at the back of Haven’s chantry to find the dwarf’s boots propped up on the map table, the chair he sat in balanced precariously on its back legs. He glanced up from the cards he was shuffling, scooching the chair backward so the front legs slammed to the ground. Cassandra winced.

“Seeker!” he said gleefully. “I heard you were looking for me.” A small white stick in his mouth swiveled to the corner of his lips as they broke into a grin.

Was that a... What was that ridiculous Fereldan children’s candy... A lollipop? Where would he even have gotten such a—. Ugh, nevermind. “Yes. To be honest, I actually expected you much sooner.”

“Ah, you know how it is.” The stick swung from side to side, and she heard the muted clatter of something hard running across teeth. Definitely a lollipop. “Wade through a sea of charred corpses, do a weird green thing at a bigger weird green thing beneath an even bigger weird green thing, take a nap, wake to a sea of adoring admirers chasing your autograph like you’re Varric Tethras.”

“You were... signing autographs,” she asked flatly.

“Nah. Can’t stand crowds,” he said, as he cut and restacked the deck with a single hand, lollipop stick waggling. “Speaking of Tethras, I still can’t believe you dragged him into this. I don’t suppose you’ve got Bhelen Aeducan in a cupboard? Bianca Davri behind the woodshed?”

“What? Who? No! That is...” She sighed. “Not why I asked you to come. You have contained the immediate threat of the Breach, and we are grateful, but I wanted to know what your intentions are now.”

“Well, I didn’t wake up in manacles this time, so that’s a distinct improvement.” The stick swirled.

“You are no longer a prisoner here. I believe what we saw at the rift—that you were not responsible, and that you even tried to help Divine Justinia. You are free to go, if that is your wish. But Solas theorizes that, with enough power, your mark could seal the Breach completely.”

“And I’m sure, worshipful local throngs aside, plenty of people who haven’t gotten the news yet are still very interested in my head.” The stick shot up as he frowned. “My boss probably isn’t thrilled, either.”

“Yes, there is also that. And while I myself believe it is Providence that has brought you to us, the fact remains that you are an acknowledged member of the Carta, who came to the Conclave as a spy. Even knowing that you were not responsible for Most Holy’s death, it is difficult to know whether you can be trust— _would_ you take that ridiculous thing out of your mouth?!”

“Sorry, sorry,” he laughed, pinching the candy’s stick between thumb and forefinger before raising the hand in a conciliatory gesture, seemingly coincidentally brandishing both lollipop and mark. The other hand continued to play with the deck of cards. “I suppose I just find it hard to resist a sucker.” Was that a wink? Had he just _winked_ at her? What _was_ it with dwarven men and _winking_. Today! Of all days! She was at least twenty hours of sleep and three baths away from being able to deal with this. “Anyway. You were saying, you want to know how you can trust me?”

“ _Yes_. Thank you.”

“Well, that’s the thing. You can’t.” As Cassandra gaped at him, he moved as though to put the lollipop back in his mouth, then thought better of it and tapped the butt of the stick on the table instead. “Or you shouldn’t, anyway.”

“But—.” Thirty hours. _Four_ baths.

“But I’m the Herald of Andraste, blessed hero riding in to save the day on a gilded bronto? Yeah, I already had that conversation with the elf. Look,” he said, finally tucking away the deck of cards, “it’s clear you people aim to do some good here, and I’m not suicidal enough to get in the way of sealing the Breach. But the tavern keeper is already into me for five royals playing ‘find the angel,’ I nicked half a dozen daggers off your blacksmith, and the quartermaster was ready to hand over a full _ten grams_ of lyrium when I suggested I could use it for research on the Breach. Ten grams!” He shook his head. “I’m doing my best to restrain myself from fleecing you people blind, but Stone below, you pious types make it a challenge.”

“Why would you tell me that you _stole_ —”

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, Seeker. I’m going to put them back.” She glowered. He laughed, eyes crinkling at the edges. “All right, all right. They’re on the shelf behind you.” She turned to look—the shelf was empty. When she turned back, there were six brand-new daggers embedded in a neat fan in the map table and a smug grin on the dwarf’s face.

“You—!”

“Oh, come on, you enjoyed it. No? Just a little bit?”

“What I would _enjoy_ is you taking this seriously.” She would not stomp her foot. She would _not_ stomp her foot like a petulant child.

“Ahh, there’s no pleasing some people. I suppose that means it’s time to put on my Herald Hat and look appropriately shiny for the reverent populace as you announce your Inquisition?” He hopped up out of the chair.

“Yes, but—. How did you—. And I thought you didn’t _like_ crowds?” She would _not_ stomp her foot _through_ the _Herald of Andraste_.

“Oh, you know, raven encryptions aren’t always as secure as you think they are.” He paused for a moment as she blanched, then continued, “I mean, that’s not how I found out, but you should probably have your spymaster look into that anyway. No, I just walked past the commander hammering what looked like a small thesis to the front door on my way in, and even at a glance it was easy enough to get the gist.”

“Oh,” she murmured, slumping in relief.

“As for the crowds...” He lifted the lollipop back to his mouth, enthusiastically crunched the last of the candy off of it, and smiled at her. “Seeker, didn’t I just tell you I’m a liar?” He chuckled, opened the door, and walked into the chantry nave, twirling the remains of the stick between his fingers as he went. “Oh, we are going to have _such_ fun,” she heard echo back through the doorway.

Doomed. They were all doomed.


End file.
